Structural panel construction



Nov. 3, 1959 s. G. SAUNDERS E 2,911,076

STRUCTURAL PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 26. 1953 z I! E- T7 IN VEN TORS.

United States Patent" lice STRUCTURAL PANEL CONSTRUCTION Seymour G.Saunders, Bloomfield Hills, and James A. Holcomb, Birmingham, Mich.;said Saunders assignor to Stribuload Incorporated, Ortonville, Mich., acorporation of Michigan, and said Holcomb assignor to WolverinePorcelain Enameling Co., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication May 26, 1953, Serial No. 357,506

' 3 Claims. (31. 18934) porcelain enamel structural panel that isparticularly adapted to withstand exposure to moisture and actualimmersion in water without structural failure or separation of thecomponents thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved porcelainenamel structural panel that is light'in weight, pleasing in appearance,economical to manufacture and assemble, durable, weather-resistant andadapted to withstand thermal and vibration stresses.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improvedporcelain enamel structural panel that may be installed on a buildingwith a minimum of labor and expense. v

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved porcelainenamel structural panel incorporating an improved fastening device thatfunctions to interconnect adjacent panels and also functions tostabilize the skins of the panel in the event the core thereof isdestroyed.

The above as well as other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from the following description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a porcelain enamel structural panelconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the structure illustratedin Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof and showing the same installedadjacent a similarly constructed panel;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the structureillustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 33 thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 44 thereof.

Referring to the drawing, a structural panel, generally designated 10,is illustrated which may be considered to be a structural panel for useon an exterior wall of a building, although it will be understood thatthe present invention is applicable to other uses. In the preferredconstruction illustrated, the panel 10 is shown as being shapedgenerally in the form of a rectangular block but it will be understoodthat the size and shape of the panel may be altered to fit the wishes ofthe designer.

The panel 10 is comprised of a honeycomb core 12 which may be made fromphenolic impregnated kraft paper or other suitable material in anydesired or conventional manner. The honeycomb core 12 is formedgenerally in the shape of a parallelepiped and defines a plurality oflaterally extending passageways 14 which are 2,911,076 Patented Nov. 3,195.9

open at each end. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, thepassageways 14 are filled with an expanded silicate 15, such as perlite,or other heat-insulating material, for the purpose of increasing theheat-insulating properties of the panel.

A pair of spaced, oppositely directed plates or skins 16 and 18 aredisposed on opposite sides of the core 12'. The corner portions of eachof the skins are removed and the marginal portions of the skins are bentso as to-form inwardly projecting flanges, such as 20 and 22, theadjacent laterally extending edge portions of which are disposed inabutting relationship. The skins 16 and 18 are identical in constructionand, as best seen in Fig.4, each of the skins 16 and 18 includes arelatively thin metal base 24 which may be made of sheet steel or othersuitable material. The inner and outer surfaces of base 24 are coatedwith layers 26 and 28, respectively, of glass-like porcelain enamel, theporcelain enamel being fused to the base so as to be permanently securedthereto. The particular porcelain enamel coating that is applied to theinner andouter surfaces of the base is not critical for the purposes ofthe present invention and any of a variety of porcelain frits well knownto persons skilled in the art may be fused to the base so as to providethe glass-like layers 26 and 28 of porcelain enamel. Such porcelainenamel coatings are pleas.- ing in appearance, weather-resistant,strong, durable and wall adapted to withstand thermal and vibrationstresses.

According to the present invention, the surface 30 of the porcelainenamel layer 26 on the inner side of the base 24 is coated with a layer32 of a metallic oxide, such as aluminum oxide, the metallic oxidecoating being fused to the surface 30 of the porcelain enamel layer 26so as to be permanently secured thereto.

For the purpose of fixing the skins 16 and 18 to the core 12, a waterinsoluble, high strength, organic adhesive 33 is applied to the metallicoxide coated inner surface of each of the skins 16 and 18. Adhesivessuitable for this purpose include epoxy resins, such as polymers ofepichlorohydrin, available commercially under the designations Aralditeand Epon from the Ciba Company and Shell Chemical Company, respectively.

The epoxy resins are available in the form of liquids and may be appliedto the metallic oxide coated surfaces of the skins by brushing,spraying, or in any other suitable manner. The epoxy resins form a highstrength, water insoluble adhesive which adheres to the metallic oxidecoated surfaces of the skins 16 and 18 and the phenolic impregnatedkraft paper core 12 so as to securely bond the skins to the core. Such aconstructtion enables the panel to withstand exposure to moisture thatmay be present in the ambient atmosphere as well as actual immersion inwater without structural failure and without separation of thecomponents of the panel.

In order that a plurality of panels may be easily and quickly joined soas to form an exterior wall, a plurality of tie members, generallydesignated 34 are provided. The tie members 34 are preferably of thecross sectional contour illustrated in Fig. 2 and include a web portion36 having a pair of integral spaced flanges 38 and 40 projectingoutwardly therefrom so as to define a channel 42 while a pair ofintegral co-planar leg portions 44 and 46 project laterally outward fromthe outer ends of the flanges 38 and 40, respectively. The web 36 andthe flanges 38 and 40 extend into a similarly shaped recessed portion 48provided in the core 12 while the outer surfaces of each of the legs 44and 46 abut the inner sur faces of the adjacent inwardly projectingflange of the skins and are secured thereto by screws 50. When thepanels are installed in adjacent relationship on the wall of a building,the channels 42 are disposed in confronta ing relationship and anelongated, rectangularly cross sectioned bar 52, which is of such sizeas to snugly fit the channels 42 in the mating tie members 34, may beinserted in the channels 42 of the adjacent tie members so as topreventrelative lateral movement between adjacent panels. A conventionalcalking or sealing compound 53 may be interposed between the .panels soas to seal the joints between the panels.

In the event the panel is one of the uppermost panels .in the Wall, theupper flanges 22 of the skins 16 and 18 may be secured together by meansof a relatively thin metal strap .54, the end portions of which aresecured to the flanges 22 of the skins 16 and 18 by screws 56.

The tie members 34 and the straps 5 4 also function to maintain orstabilize the skins 16 and 18 in spaced rela- .tionship so as to preventstructural failure of the panel in the event the core 12 is destroyed byfire or otherwise damaged after the panel has been installed on the wallof a building.

While a preferred-embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that various changes and modificationsmay be'made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a laminated structural panel, the combination comprising a core, ametal skin having a layer of percelain enamel-fused to the surfacesthereof, one surface .of the porcelain enamel layer on one side of theskin having a layer of aluminum oxide fused thereto, a layer of Waterinsoluble organic adhesive, said layer of water insoluble organicadhesive adhering to said layer of aluminum oxide and to said corewhereby said layer of aluminum oxide is bonded to said core by saidWater insoluble :organic adhesive.

2. In a laminated structural panel, the combination comprising a core, askin fixed to one side of said core, said skin including a flat metalbase having a layer of porcelain enamel fused to each side thereof,.analuminum oxide coating fused to the surface of the layer of porcelainenamel on one side of said skin, a layer of water insoluble organicadhesive, said layer of Water insoluble organic adhesive adhering tosaid coating of aluminum oxide and to said core whereby saidaluminumoxide coated surface is bonded to said core by said water insolubleorganic adhesive.

3. In a laminated structural panel, the combination comprising a core,.apairof skins, one of said skins being secured to each side of said core,each of said skins including a metal base having a layer of porcelainenamel on each side thereof, an aluminum oxide coating fused to thesurface of the porcelain enamel on one side of each of said skins, alayer of water insoluble organic adhesive intermediate each of saidaluminum oxide coated surfaces and said core, each of said layers ofwater insoluble organic adhesive adhering to the adjacent coating ofaluminum oxide and to the core whereby said aluminum. oxide coatedsurfaces are bonded to said core by said water insoluble organicadhesive.

References Cited in the file of this ,patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,719,607 Harvey July 2, 1929 1,942,989 Thompson Jan. 9,, .19342,100,187 Handrek Nov. 23, 1937 2,240,487 Benham May 6, 1941 2,320,937Knoop et al. June 1, 1943 2,404,904 Collins July 30, 1946 2,444,333Castan June 29, 194.8 2,580,076 Deane Dec. 25, 1951 2,608,502 MerrimanAug. 26, 1952 2,628,927 Colbert et al Feb. 17, 1953 2,700,634 AckerlindJan. 25, 1955 2,744,042 Pace May 1, 1956

1. IN A LAMINATED STRUCTURAL PANEL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A CORE, AMETAL SKIN HAVING A LAYER OF PORCELAIN ENAMEL FUSED TO THE SURFACESTHEREOF, ON SURFACE OF THE PORCELAIN ENAMEL LAYER ON ONE SIDE OF THESKIN HAVING A LAYER OF ALUMINUM OXIDE FUSED THERETO, A LAYER OF WATERINSOLUBLE ORGANIC ADHESIVE, SAID LAYER OF WATER INSOULABLE ORGANICADHESIVE ADHERING TO SAID LAYER OF ALUMINUM OXIDE AND TO SAID COREWHEREBY SAID LAYER OF ALUMINUM OXIDE IS BONDED TO SAID CORE BY SAIDWATER INSOULABLE ORGANIC ADHESIVE.